Stan Beikmann, Landscape Designer and Horticulturist

He called me a gardener.

Many years ago Stan came to our house to help us with some landscape designs. As he observed the flower and shrub garden he asked who was the gardener. I was a bit confused because we couldn’t afford to have a gardener. Seeing my confusion, he asked, “Who tied down the daffodils and weeded this garden?” I responded that I had. He said, “Then you’re the gardener.”

I grew up in an apartment building in Toronto with no garden. A few years prior to this, I had “weeded out” some of my mother-in-laws prized lilies that we had transplanted from Massachusetts to Maryland. It was apparent to all that I was no gardener. YET this man whom I admired and respected saw in me something I could not see in myself. He saw that I was (or could be) a gardener.

Stan’s knowledge and skill in horticulture has taught me many spiritual lessons over the years. Recently I was trying to start some new plant colonies from things already growing on our property. I sent Stan a photo of a plant with beautiful intricate leaves to find out what he thought about me using them. He responded, “They will make your neighbors wheeze and sneeze in a few weeks. It’s western ragweed. Pretty leaves—bad invasive plant!” I destroyed all I could find. I was grateful to have a friend who knew more than I did and could point out what I should stay away from.

The things in this world that seem attractive to us can often becomes the things that negatively invade our lives. Oh that I would follow the advice of “The Gardner” more readily.

With Stan’s coaching, I can now say, “I am a gardener” kinda.